Caracas Arepa Bar is devoted to the pleasure of homemade Venezuelan food. Since 2003 they have been dedicated to the idea of a space where authentic quality food converges with the eclectic vibe of NYC. What began as a small arepa store front in the East Village has paved the path to a full service Williamsburg, Brooklyn restaurant, and a beachside arepa outpost in Rockaway Beach, Queens. Caracas Arepa Bar is only possible thanks to the dedication of its team led by native Venezuelans, Maribel Araujo and Aristides Barrios.

Husband and wife Amy Le and John Keebler opened the first Saucy Porka in 2013, wanting the restaurant to be the home where their memories and experiences lived. It was the memories from their grandmothers, mothers, and aunts that taught them that a recipe is nothing without the love and soul one puts into it. In putting together the menu, chef Le teamed up with former colleague chef Rafel Lopez, to pay homage to the home-style cooking rooted in their Latin and Asian cultures. Saucy Porka has been named among Chicago’s top restaurants in numerous local and national print and television programs, such as Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Casa Indigo is the creation of Chef Mer Mansuria, whose background includes experience in some of the best kitchens in Chicago including Girl and the Goat, Little Goat, Caffe Baci Corp., Duseks, and more. Casa Indigo serves great food at affordable prices, with the majority of ingredients sourced from local farms, bakeries and tortillerias. The menu involves classic Mexico City-style tacos and street food with a global influence, and includes blue corn tortillas and tlacoyos, and award-winning chicken wings, tortas, and burgers. The restaurant also displays and sells local artwork and has monthly local artist showcases on the second Friday of most months.

Christine Staley became a Minot, North Dakota transplant after relocating from Miami Beach with her husband and three-year old in 2013. Staley left her career in TV production to pursue her love of food and uniting her passion for people and entertaining was how Magic City Hoagies was born in 2014. The build-your-own hoagie-style sandwich shop freshly slices their premium meats & cheeses to order, with loads of hand-chopped veggies and unique toppings, finished with one (or more) of their 21 zippy sauces. In Oct 2021 Staley took 2nd place in the Fast Casual Executive Summit’s Perfect Pitch global competition as the next up-and-coming fast casual concept.

Founded by Robert Magiet, TaKorea Cocina is a Mexican-Korean fusion restaurant that’s been serving Chicagoans since 2019. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert continued to display an unwavering commitment to his community and a devotion to helping others. TaKorea Cocina donated over 10,000 Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners for first responders and underprivileged communities, and provided meals to Army volunteers at the city’s United Center vaccination site. The restaurant also became home to Chicago’s second “Love Fridge,” a refrigerator sponsored by a mutual aid collective, that provides groceries and meals donated by TaKorea Cocina and neighbors.

From husband and wife duo Jamie and Scott Hersch, Munch is located outside of Cleveland and emphasizes fresh, wholesome food prepared the same day. The restaurant’s small kitchen means Munch buys daily, stays local and keeps offerings super fresh. While offering a menu suitable for vegans and vegetarians, the restaurant boasts daily, house-made meat offerings like the off-the-bone turkey and baked chicken, which are roasted in-house and are preservative- and nitrate-free. The soups are all vegetarian, original recipes made in small batches.

At the Bay Area’s El Pípila, Guadalupe Guerrero and her two daughters Brenda & Alejandra serve authentic, artisanal cuisine from the state of Guanajuato, the heart of Mexico. Dishes are created from traditional recipes passed down from generation to generation. Growing up in Mexico, Lupe was fascinated and inspired by the flavors of her hometown of Acámbaro, and her culinary knowledge and skills are a family tradition. After moving to the US, Lupe worked in many taquerías throughout Berkeley, and continued selling to friends and family with dreams of one day opening her own restaurant. Today, she thoughtfully and carefully prepares meals with the same ingredients used by her grandmother.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tucson’s Feast has been keeping its staff employed by sending meals to front line workers, first responders, people experiencing homelessness, and other members of the community who need food, recognition, or both. Feast is now reopened for dine-in, but continues to support different organizations every other week, donating 20 meals for every 80 donated by members of the community. So far, Feast has fed over 8,500 people, and each week it continues to offer help to those in need, partly as a means of helping the community at large and partly as a means of keeping its staff employed.

Maison Café is a full-service restaurant and market featuring breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus grab and go items, and is dedicated to Chef Danielle Kuhn’s vision of bringing exceptional service to the food revolution. Maison Café's dine-in menu is created around items that satisfy hunger, support health, and leave diners happy. Each item has been carefully crafted with ingredients that serve a purpose. Their wine list has been curated from vineyards from around the world that are biodynamic, sustainable, organic, and tasty, and leave as little of a footprint on the planet as possible.

South LA Cafe is a community coffee shop, market, and cultural center located in the heart of South Central Los Angeles. The South LA Cafe team exists to serve the community, fight racial and economic inequality, and provide equal access to food. In the face of COVID-19 and heightened food insecurity husband and wife duo Joe & Celia Ward-Wallace deepened their commitment to care for their community with a weekly free food distribution. To date, the South LA Grocery Giveaway has provided fresh and healthy food to over 70,000 local families.

All Day Baby is a restaurant, bakery, and cocktail bar with the soul of a diner, opened in 2019 in Silver Lake by Chef Jonathan Whitener and Lien Ta. Their second restaurant together, All Day Baby illuminates their childhood ties with Southern food & hospitality, coupled with a touch of SoCal-Mexican flair. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, All Day Baby has received all kinds of accolades in 2020 and 2021.

With locations in the historic Shaw and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods of Washington, DC, Beau Thai serves traditional, made-from-scratch, and tasty Thai cuisine. Complementing the food is a full bar of creative cocktails, local beers, and a thoughtful wine list. Beautiful, bright interiors feature murals of the founder’s vintage family photographs from Thailand, oversized subway tiles, and colorful wood accents. Since opening in 2010, the restaurant has supported countless community causes through fundraisers, events, and donations.

Uncommon Market in Beeville, TX includes concepts Coffee Barrel, Uncommon Table, and Atomic Bakery, where founder Dr. Dhaval Patel and his team curate epicurean experiences based on living and traveling abroad. Their philosophy highlights fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and sustainable cuisine with a “farm to table” approach. Uncommon Market was born from years abroad and inviting friends to the table, where passion for food and a respect for cultures transcended barriers. Through innovative culinary experiences, the community unites under their vision for local impact in education, healthcare, economic livelihood, and environment through 11 community programs.

Hugs Café is the flagship program of Hugs Café, Inc. where they directly employ adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a café setting. Hugs Café serves soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts that are all prepared by their special staff. Seasonal pies, boxed lunches and packaged treats are also made by the Hugs Café teammates. Hugs Café believes in carving a job to meet a person’s ability, so every teammate at Hugs Café has a position tailored to their skills that allows them to feel confident in their work and be productive every day.

Lilo’s Streetfood and Bar is known for their fresh and interesting menu and is a Lake Worth Beach favorite destination! The restaurant includes a street cafe, hoppin' bar scene, live music and DJ’s, Boozy Brunch, comfortable outdoor dining and a huge craft beer selection. Inspired by the beach culture and ethnicity of coastal Florida, Lilo's serves upscale street food with a coastal vibe in a relaxed environment. Their scratch kitchen is ready to serve fresh beachside cocktails, craft beer and delicious food!

Choplin’s Restaurant opened its doors in 2010, fulfilling Wes Choplin’s lifelong dream of owning a fresh local eatery in his home state of North Carolina. Chef Wes has high standards for each aspect of the restaurant business and purchases fresh produce and spices from North Carolina farmers. The menu features East Coast seafood caught from the Gulf Stream to the North Atlantic. The high quality, hand-cut steaks and prepared perfectly, tender and delicious. The beverage lists include his selection of vintage wines from around the world as well as local micro-brewed beers. Choplin’s atmosphere is casual dining with a modern steakhouse feel.